Once again, many moons or months have passed since my last post. I’ve started quite a few since then, only to never finish them. I start writing and then I think, who even cares to read my drivel anymore? And is there anyone even out there still reading anything I write? It’s not like I’ve been consistent lately. (Understatement of the year.)
Since I’ve been doing transcription full-time, it is hard for me to rationalize writing on here and then typing about 70 pages a day. I know I should start the writing before the transcribing, because sometimes my fingers literally hurt at the end of the day. So maybe write posts on the days that I am mainly just audio proofing and therefore not typing so much? Anyway, it’s hard to believe I’ve been self-employed now for over a year. 15 months as of February to be exact.
Well, The Herd has grown by one since my last writing. Her name is Babs and she is a gorgeous calico cat whose previous fur mom died. Her human sister and I had a mutual friend who posted her picture and story on Facebook and one thing led to another. And well, Babs traveled across the country from LA to Jacksonville, Florida, where I picked her up and drove her back down to the Ft. Myers area. You know how I love my senior furballs.
As I mentioned in my last post, I am looking to move in May sometime as our lease is up at the end of that month. Thinking very seriously about the St. Pete/Clearwater area and its environs. Cheaper to live, more liberal and more people around my age. Down here there are a lot of 20-somethings and then there are a bunch of much older folks, like those who have been able to retire and live off of their savings or pensions or what have you. Really hard to make friends when you work at home and aren’t into the bar scene. I do volunteer at a wildlife center on the weekends when I am in town and I love it. But it’s not really a great way to make lasting friends since the volunteers change a lot on the weekends.
I have been dating someone now for the past few months. Yay! He’s about 5 yrs older than me and is very positive with his mindset. Also into fitness. Another yay! He lives north of Orlando. Boo! But he has two sons in the St. Pete/Clearwater area, so many times we meet halfway for both of us, around St. Pete. Or, I go up his way for a weekend, since I can take my work with me and he usually works 6 days a week due to staff shortages. (He works as a fitness director.) Oh, and he’s liberally minded and open to eating vegan or vegetarian food when he’s with me. Yay! Neither one of us makes a lot of money so it’s good that we like to spend time in parks, going for walks/visiting the beach, etc. We plan to go indoor rock climbing together in Tampa the next time we are up there.
The finances — eh, they’re there. Still working on improving them and increasing my income. Working with several different companies is helping in that I never have a shortage of work. I also learn about different types of proceedings and how they need to be transcribed, as well as from different jurisdictions. I won’t bore you with the details, but it does make my work more interesting as well.
So that’s about all that has changed. I have realized that being a nomad is just too difficult when you have as many furballs as me. I can’t afford nor would I want to drive around a huge Class A at this point. A Class C might work, but I would always be terrified about any of them getting out or being unhappy, and that is no way to live. Plus, living the RV life isn’t always that cheap, and I really do love being near the water. Even if you live somewhere inland like where my boyfriend lives, you are still just an hour away from a huge body of water like the Atlantic. To do the RV thing more cheaply means you live in the desert southwest or where there is a lot of BLM land, and I really need the greenery that I have around me here. I have come to realize that. I do miss the wide open spaces of the southwest though.
There are always compromises, aren’t there?
Anyway, I wanted to write this post while I had the ambition to do so, and while my hands weren’t hurting from typing 15-20,000 words in a day. Yes, you read that right. Not a typo.
Thank you to Dawn from Change is Hard for inspiring me to write this evening, after dropping a comment on my blog letting me know she was thinking about me. I admire her ability to blog so consistently. And if you haven’t read her blog or seen her pictures, well, you’re really missing something.
Again, I do want to write more. It’s just hard when you feel like you don’t have much to say, or you do feel like you have something to say but feel the need to earn an income for your furballs and put a bowl of food on the floor for them. Life, right? I’m not complaining. I love working from home and watching my babies sleep (seemingly all day, lol.)
Sooo much sleeping goes on during the day here. Sometimes I even join them. It cracks me up to go lay down on my bed and then hear the pitter patter of little feet as they wake up from their naps, only to realize that Mom has moved. So they pick their bodies up, stretch, and then come in and lay back down next to me. Sometimes, the bed is very crowded… LOL.
Anyway, I feel like I sound like a broken record when I say that I am sorry for the long lengths of time between posts. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. At least some of the photos were cute, right?
Chasing Simple Dreams 
I lived in Tampa for three years in the late 70’s. There is a big difference between comfortable weather there and a bit further south in Sarasota. We escaped Tampa as often as possible.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Judie, I didn’t know you lived in Tampa! Yes, I would still need, at the very least, a lake to escape to, in the hot weather. There’s just something about it that calms me down. And Sarasota is just gorgeous! A virtual hug back to you, Judie! And still loving all the amazing photos of food you post!
Just out of surgery for a hip replacement! Feeling no pain! ;->
Wow, that is awesome! Do you have a lot of rehab to do for that?
You betcha’. I’m getting around with a walker and doing exercises, but it hurts more than I expected. Holding back on the meds, though, hence the pain.
Terri,
It’s good to hear what you’re up to. I’m very glad you wrote. Sounds like like is fair to middling – some ups and some downs. I guess that’s life. I hope things go well for you – and don’t actually hurt your fingers! I’m realizing bodies start complaining after a while if they don’t like how they’re being treated.
Do write again!
Best wishes,
Ginny
Hi Ginny,
Yes, I am super cautious about when my fingers or arms start to get tired. I have splints that I wear at night when I feel like they need some extra help. And I will definitely write again. It felt good last night to write and to hear from you guys. I need to get myself back in that right, “writing” mental space. And yeah, life is usually good. I had a friend down in town about two weeks ago, from Boston, and it could have been the let down that was affecting me yesterday. That, and I do need more social interaction, is what my boyfriend noticed last night.
Loved the pictures of the fur balls. And I do get the questioning…..”is anyone even reading this”. Thanks for the update.
Thanks, Geneva. And i can tell you that people are definitely reading your blog! I hear from them!
Yes, Terri. We are here. 🙂
It’s so good to get an update from you!
I’m glad that you and the herd are doing well. And congrats on finding love. That’s great to hear. 🙂 Plus, a new furball in your life!
Your hands hurt at the end of the day? Terri, please take care of yourself and guard against carpal tunnel, repetitive strain injury, etc. I’ve struggled with it on and off for years. During my last (and worst) flare-up a year or so ago, I couldn’t type at all for days.
Have you read about the concept Ikigai? Here is a simple and relaxing introduction to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0ralcLKzTg
I hope you continue to blog, but it shouldn’t feel like a duty to you. It should serve you in some way.
Hugs!
So good to hear from you! One of the posts I started writing was actually about you and a friend of mine who both paid off massive amounts of debt in short periods of time. I suspect you make much more than me, and I know she does, so I know i shouldn’t compare the situations, but I did internally. I was and still am so happy for you that that hurdle is gone. I read your latest post though about your parent probably needing to change their living situation within a year and my heart went out to you.
I had never heard of the concept Ikigai. I just watched that video you recommended and it was very calming and beautiful. I subscribed to her channel and will likely watch that again before I go to bed, when I find myself surrounded by lots of furballs. They are one of the things that gives me the most joy in this world. I also find that volunteering at the wildlife center gives me a lot of joy, seeing the pelicans act like goofballs or goobers, as I call them. I have also begun taking my coffee on the lanai and just listening to the birds in the mornings and find that also brings me great joy. Working out with my boot camp crew brings me joy. Running at the eco preserve near me brings me joy.
And re the fingers — I do lots of stretches when I feel them getting tired. I also know what time of day I am most productive and think I need to start setting a schedule around it. Mid-afternoon is my slump. I’m good in the morning and in the evening before 9. I do have an ergo keyboard which I love, and have switched up office chairs and that helps my posture as well, combined with a pillow behind my back. I would like to eventually have a stand up desk but I need to figure out how to best arrange that with my job which involves using a foot pedal.
I do still like to write — I have been doing a lot of journaling lately. I just need to make writing a priority in my life again, not just work, work, work.
Thank you so much for writing to me and for the encouragement. And the inspiration. Again, I am so happy for you in finally slaying the debt dragon. I wish I could as well.
Hi Terri!! I’ve missed you. I see you have made some big changes: location, job, boyfriend and addition to the fam. Good for you. Have you tried using your phone speaker and dictating your posts then just go back and edit via typing?? I personally don’t do that – only text via the speaker sometimes when I don’t want to type a long text but if you have WP on your phone, you can try that. GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
Hi Karyn, yes, so many changes!! And I still get your posts into my email. Amazed at how much you can blog. I need to look into the dictation thing. That might be the cure for me, as I am now typing on the laptop keyboard and not my ergo one which is what I use for work.
good luck. I hope you find a new way to ‘type’ thus blog
…and…I usually use a prompt and keep my posts short and (admittedly) lackluster so it doesn’t take long to type one out.
I’ve noticed you with the prompts. I envy the ability to be so creative every day.
I’m glad to see this post and know that you’re doing OK! The new cat is BEAUTIFUL! OF course you couldn’t resist her! Glad she found her way to you, she’ll have a great life with your herd! Thanks for the plug too! 🙂
Oh, you are very welcome for the plug! Yes, Babs will live out her life with me as the Queen that she is and has already let me and her fur siblings know. She absolutely hates Steel, the German Shepherd who belongs to my roommate. If a cat could scowl in disgust, that is how you would describe her face when he enters the room, lol. And when she wants attention, there is no stopping that girly. No way, Jose.
Just chiming in to say it’s great to hear from you and I’m glad things are going well! Like others here, I’ll read whenever you can post 🙂 My job has me working so $#@& much I don’t even have time for Instagram anymore so I completely understand your situation of having to make choices on where to spend limited free time. And like you, my fur babies always come first! Speaking of, Congratulations on your New Addition – she’s beautiful!
Thank you! It was Babs’ eyes that drew me in when I saw her picture on Facebook that her human sister posted (the one I included here actually.) I am so sorry to hear your work also has you running around like nuts. Hopefully it is just a temporary thing? And thank you for letting me know you are still out there and still care!
I still have you in my feed reader! It’s fun to read an update!
Aw, thanks Jill! I can’t believe you have been blogging for as long as you have. Much respect! And I am glad to be able to call you a friend as well.